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Digital PCR for Quantifying Circulating MicroRNAs in Acute Myocardial Infarction and Cardiovascular Disease
Published on: July 3, 2018
Plasma nuclear and mitochondrial DNA levels in acute myocardial infarction patients
Lei Wang1, Liang Xie, Qigao Zhang
1Department of Cardiology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing, China.
Objective:
Plasma nuclear and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) levels are altered in many diseases. However, it is not known whether they are also altered in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In the present study, we examined plasma nuclear and mtDNA levels in the patients with AMI before and after a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to explore their potential as biomarkers.
Methods And Results:
Plasma nuclear and mtDNA levels were measured by quantitative PCR in 25 AMI patients, 25 non-myocardial infarction (MI) control participants (with MI risk), and 20 healthy individuals during the study period. The concentrations of nuclear and mtDNA were significantly higher in the AMI group on hospital day 1 than that in the non-MI controls (nuclear: 0.4948±0.0830 vs. 0.2047±0.0222 ng/μl, P<0.05; mitochondrial: 3.754±0.384 vs. 1.851±0.3483 ng/μl, P<0.05) and healthy individuals (nuclear: 0.4948±0.0830 vs. 0.1683±0.0254 ng/μl, P=0.001; mitochondrial: 3.754±0.384 vs. 0.1517±0.0924 ng/μl, P<0.05) and decreased shortly after PCI.
Conclusion:
Both plasma nuclear and mtDNA levels are elevated in AMI patients, but return to normal levels immediately after PCI, suggesting that they are potentially novel biomarkers for AMI.
Insights
Plasma nuclear and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) levels are elevated in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients. These levels decrease after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), indicating potential as novel AMI biomarkers.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Disease Research
- Molecular Diagnostics
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Altered plasma levels of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are observed in various diseases.
- The role of these DNA fragments in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has not been previously investigated.
Discussion:
- This study investigated plasma nuclear and mtDNA levels in AMI patients before and after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
- Quantitative PCR was used to measure DNA concentrations in 25 AMI patients, 25 non-myocardial infarction (MI) controls, and 20 healthy individuals.
Key Insights:
- Plasma nuclear and mtDNA concentrations were significantly higher in AMI patients compared to both non-MI controls and healthy individuals on hospital day 1.
- A notable decrease in both nuclear and mtDNA levels was observed shortly after PCI in AMI patients.
Outlook:
- Elevated plasma nuclear and mtDNA levels in AMI patients that normalize post-PCI suggest their potential as novel diagnostic biomarkers for AMI.
- Further research is warranted to validate these findings and explore their clinical utility in AMI management.
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